Dubai World Trade Centre drives forward innovative Emiratisation programme

It aims to nurture talented UAE nationals and enable them to take a leading role in the development of the region's fast-growing real estate, hospitality, convention and exhibitions industries.

At the same time, it has also revealed details of a national leadership programme that will start in 2006, which will offer bespoke development training for DWTC management.

Both programmes have been created to enable UAE nationals to achieve measurable business results in an international organisation, arming them with a range of professional, managerial and technical skills.

"Together, these programmes have been designed to provide the highest standard of hands-on professional training, to educate the participants about a variety of leading-edge management techniques and to help them to achieve their full potential," said Helal Saeed Al Marri, Director General, Dubai World Trade Centre.

The graduate management trainee scheme will provide participants with a mix of mentoring, on-the-job training and business education. Successful applicants will be able to either specialise in specific areas of DWTC's business - including event organising, real estate development, hospitality, finance and engineering - or to take a general business programme, where they will focus on strategy and the full range of DWTC activities.

Through the programme, applicants will spend time in each department of DWTC, learning about the business and working with a senior DWTC staff member, who will act as mentor and trainer for them.

At the end of each module, they will be assessed on their performance and understanding of the different departments, to ensure they have a fully holistic view of DWTC's operations.

DWTC executives expect a strong response to the program at the forthcoming Careers UAE event, which runs from April 23-25 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, and are hoping to recruit the first wave of participants for the pilot programme by May 2006.

Initially, the graduate programme will take on 15 UAE nationals, and will expand every year to welcome a higher volume of new entrants. While participating in the training scheme, graduates will be on a full, entry-level salary.

"Dubai World Trade Centre is a very active and exciting professional environment, we partner with businesses from around the world and so employees are able to get a great deal of international exposure. Our graduate management trainee programme provides the widest exposure to the different aspects of our organisation, and we hope it will foster a sense of team-work and belonging for the new graduates," added Al Marri.

To further DWTC's support for the wider Emiratization drive, it is also launching a National Leadership Programme for experienced management, which will provide bespoke leadership training and development modules for selected candidates, helping to fully leverage their abilities by providing resources from some of the world's leading business schools within the DWTC.

Participants will be encouraged to develop a range of new competencies, including financial awareness, emotional intelligence, behaviour, people management, communication, business competence, time management and technical competence. The ultimate aim is provide high potential employees with the resources they require to fully shape their career paths, and produce a cadre of UAE national managers capable of taking DWTC to the next level in its development. Additionally candidates will have opportunities for work experience at top international institutions both in the UAE and abroad.

"We view the schemes as an important investment for the future of the Dubai World Trade Centre, as they will enable us to attract, train and retain talented employees who thrive in an international environment and help us to grow our business on a global scale," said Al Marri.

"Even in cases where participants of either scheme choose to work elsewhere, the local economy as a whole will benefit from their skills and experience, as they will be prepared with the tools and expertise necessary to join the next generation of UAE business leaders," he added.

As part of its overall programme of Emiratization, DWTC added 39 national recruits to its workforce in 2005 - an 85 per cent increase over 2004.